Reflection

Written by Charlene Ward       

Leaving Costa Rica was very bitter sweet. I was happy to return back to solitude in the United States, but I was very upset that I had to leave such an amazing place. I already have a desire to go back after only a week home.  The service learning experience will  stay close to my heart forever. I met amazing people in Costa Rica, and I also created lifelong friendships with some of my classmates. I think that every person should try to go on a trip like this one at least once in their life. The trip was very tiring at times, but it was all worth it. I learned so much from this trip that I would never have learned in the classroom. I wish all my classmates would have the opportunity to go on this trip.

                The work we accomplished was very gratifying. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that the work our group finished in both La Carpio and the rainforest will immensely affect the people’s lives. I also liked doing work that directly affected the people we helped. When I volunteer with the SCA, the work we do often helps indirectly. I think I was more motivated with the work we did in Costa Rica because I could see immediately how it helped the people. Even when I was absolutely exhausted, I did not give up. I know the work that our group was doing was special; we really made an impact. 

                I miss the people in Costa Rica dearly. We met many different nationalities while in Costa Rica which included: Costa Ricans, Nicaraguans, and Brazilians. The people in Costa Rica were so kind. I absolutely loved practicing my Spanish with all the people in La Carpio and in the rain forest. Honestly, I now even want to live in a Latin American country when I am older, and I really want to study abroad  in Latin America. My martial arts instructor actually spent an entire year studying at the University of Costa Rica; he said it was the most rewarding experience of his life. I would definitely go back to Costa Rica at some point in my life.

                One thing that was really hard on the trip was dealing with the same people for two weeks. I did get along with everyone on the trip, but I am the type of person that needs a lot of time by myself. I like to go and do my own thing, so it was really hard to stay with the group 24/7. The trip definitely taught me to get along with the same people for two weeks. Now when I go to Alaska for a month with NOLS, I won’t have as hard of a time adjusting to seeing only the same sixteen people over the entire month. My relationships with some of the people on the trip have definitely grown immensely.

                The things our group go to see was absolutely amazing. I also was able to experience a lot of new things while in Costa Rica. It was my first time seeing a volcano, going to a coffee plantation, zip lining through the rainforest, swimming in the Pacific Ocean, seeing wild monkeys, and watching someone cut up a tree with a machete! These are experiences I could have never done in Pittsburgh. The service learning company did an awesome job at planning things that us kids would love. There was nothing I disliked about this trip; I thought it was an absolutely amazing experience, and I’m sad that the experience is over. It definitely went by too quickly, but I'm hoping to have similar experiences in the future now because of it.